“All of us can do something to help children in need, and this perceptive book explains exactly how. We all own, legally and ethically, the parenting of children who have been abused or neglected, and we are all responsible for how our systems try to cope in our name. This is a community problem that demands a community response. The crisis of babies in Foster Care impacts every one of us, because their untreated problems grow up right alongside the children, and become more costly and harder to treat as they grow older. We should all care about these children because they are human beings. We should also care greatly because done badly, our government interventions create lifetimes of vastly expensive broken grownups.”
—Peter Samuelson, President and Co-Founder, First Star, Inc, www.firststar.org
“Holly Schlaack’s book reads like a novel, yet her 12 action steps give professionals and concerned community members the tools to help these children who have suffered at the hands of their parents and sometimes the system itself.”
—Thomas R. Lipps, Retired Judge, Juvenile Court, Hamilton County, Ohio
“Read this book and you will understand how tragic it is when the needs of abused and neglected children are forgotten. Fortunately, Holly also offers practical ways you can help assure they get what all children deserve – safe, permanent homes, with people who love them, secure in the knowledge that their futures are important.”
—Michael S. Piraino, CEO, National CASA Association
“Those of us who work in the child welfare system quickly be-come experts in human suffering. We live and work in a world that is foreign to most. But in order for our society to accept responsibility for helping and healing these children, their courageous stories must be told. Holly Schlaack has so eloquently shared the heartbreak, misery, and sometimes joy that is the daily life of those who live and work in the system. She has used her case-by-case experience and her passion for these children to attempt to influence public policy by capturing our hearts. This book brings the reader into the real world of child welfare, a world we all need to learn more about if we are to save these wonderful children.”
—Cindy S. Lederman, Presiding Judge of the Miami-Dade Juvenile Court
“Foster parents, like birth parents, can be both good and bad, no matter what their own background or place in society. Holly Schlaack does a fantastic job in revealing foster parents who look at foster children and see dollar signs, while many others are dedicated people who see foster children as missing something only they can provide: love. Her book gives concrete steps we can all take to insure there are no more kids like Marcus Fiesel who is remembered more for the horrible way in which he died rather than an uplifting story about how he lived. I highly recommend her book.”
—Mark E. Piepmeier, Prosecuting Attorney in the murder trial against the foster parents of Marcus Fiesel
Invisible Kids
Marcus Fiesel's Legacy
One short life, one
terrible death and 12 things
YOU can do to improve the lives of
foster children
E-Special Edition
12
Ways You Can Save a Child’s Life
by
Holly
Schlaack
Published by Transmedia Books at Smashwords
Copyright © 2011 Holly Schlaack
This ebook special edition is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This book is available in a print edition at most online retailers.
THE REAL STORY ON FOSTER CARE AND REAL
SOLUTIONS
FOR MAKING IT BETTER
When Marcus Fiesel’s story of torture, abandonment, and a slow, agonizing death came to light, it was not exactly news to Holly Schlaack. She was an insider in the foster care system and Marcus’ horrible experience was just an extreme example of how she knew the system could fail.
Happily, Holly had also seen some success stories that were as inspiring as Marcus’ story was appalling. So she set out to create a way for there to be more happy endings. This e-book special edition is part of the effort. If this e-special edition inspires you, please purchase the full-length Invisible Kids Marcus Fiesel’s Legacy book on Smashwords or at your favorite bookseller.
Invisible Kids tells the stories of many children and foster families. It tells them straight and backs them up with statistics and facts that show why the system works, why it doesn’t, and where it needs help. It describes the special program Holly herself created for the early identification of red flags in the lives of infants and toddlers. It details how this program, ProKids Building Blocks, is making a difference, with specialized training and home visitation checklists that assist in objectifying warning signs that might otherwise go unnoticed. It also identifies more than a dozen ways, large and small, anyone can apply to make a difference.
When stories reach the news, an enraged public often jumps to conclusions or springs to solutions that are superficial and do not take into account the real issues. Invisible Kids goes in depth so practical approaches and real solutions can surface.
It is too easy to think that all children have a reasonably happy childhood. Sadly, we learn, some children have no childhood at all. In this day and age this is neither necessary nor acceptable. If you care about children, here are ideas to put your caring into action.